One shot.
Thiem completed the transition from defense to offense in just one shot, which is exactly the ability of the top ATP players today, and they can turn the situation around at any time.
Gawain was in a very awkward situation. He kept moving his feet and adjusting his center of gravity. In the midst of the chaos, the whole world was spinning and shrouded in a halo. He even felt dizzy from staring directly at the sun. His sense of direction and space were impaired and he had difficulty making judgments.
Left leg, brake.
Spin and turn around.
He hit the tennis ball with both hands backhand, and followed the clockwise direction of his body rotation, using the force of inertia to complete the shot, but his sense of space was not right, so Gao Wen did not dare to exert force; therefore, he chose to hit it lightly, using a skateboard to unload the force, pursuing the landing point and angle, but not the extreme.
whoosh.
Tennis, first Thiem's lob, then Gawain's light hit, the attached power and speed have gradually dissipated, but the rotation caused by the remaining friction is still continuing to operate, so it rotates at high speed, with topspin and sidespin, as light as a hummingbird, flying diagonally.
The ball landed near the baseline of the serving area, still on Thiem's backhand.
It can be seen from here that Gao Wen did not pursue perfection, but he still opened up angles through light hits, and his defensive and offensive shots were indeed very advanced.
Attack and defense, the game continues.
Thiem was highly focused. He did a split and slid step to save the ball in the previous shot, and hit a magical overhead lob, successfully defusing the crisis. But Thiem did not relax. He stood up again, stepped on tiptoe to keep his body light, and then saw Gawain's hitting choice.
The pupil narrowed——
Chance.
Step, step, he tiptoed twice, and then Tim rushed to his left side.
Backhand!
Moreover, there is a secret in Gao Wen's return. Not only does it tear the angle apart, but it also has a little topspin, so the tennis ball bounces very high after landing.
At this time, if Thiem chooses to step forward into the baseline and grab a rising point, he can complete a sweeping shot from top to bottom, just like Kei Nishikori; but Thiem's personality does not like going to the net, and this was even more so in 2015. He still insisted on his offensive style.
One kick, one lift——
White crane spreads its wings.
Tim only used his left leg to support his center of gravity, with his body fully stretched out. With the lifting of his right leg, his body was in a semi-jumping posture, and then his one-handed backhand was fully stretched out. It was not just his arms and chest, but his entire body was clearly extended.
Balance and stretch, strength and flexibility, the entire batting action is like the art of ballet, so breathtakingly beautiful that it makes people hold their breath.
A spread, a stroke——
Backhand crosscourt.
Tim, speed up.
Seeing the pace of the round slow down, Tim immediately speeded it up.
The ball is not only hit hard and deep, but also has an intense angle and landing point.
The tennis ball flew towards the blind spot of the triangle on the left baseline of Gawain. Compared with Gawain's caution, Tim did not hold back at all and aimed at every corner with full firepower.
Today, in the match against Gao Wen, Thiem really showed the style of a top player. It is hard to believe that he is not in the top ten in the world.
The air waves are rolling.
Gawain, persistent passive.
The baseline shot just now was already passive enough. Gao Wen tried to set a trap with a hidden needle, but Tim did not hesitate at all. He completely suppressed him with pure power and speed, and then this shot pushed Gao Wen into an awkward position.
Thiem's shot was deep enough, hammering at Gawain's feet.
This also means that it is almost too late to go to the net to intercept; if you stay where you are, you have to face the ball bouncing around your feet and facing Tim's full-force backhand shot, there is not enough space to swing the racket, and control is almost impossible.
Therefore, retreat became the only option.
Small steps.
Continuous small steps.
Although Gawain's retreat steps were fast and slow enough, Thiem's shots still managed to squeeze Gawain's swing space. He only made room for about one step, which was not enough for a complete swing. In the end, he completed a rebound at the knee position, barely relying on the strength of his forearm to swing.
Tennis actually had the effect of baseball.
Huh! The whole audience exclaimed.
The powerful collision between the two players was so tense and exciting. Thiem's aggressiveness and Gawain's softness and strength were like a collision between Mars and the Earth. The confrontation between the two sides was never giving in. It seemed that Thiem had regained the initiative, but Gawain made up for some disadvantages: his return of the ball was amazing.
The ball bounced off Gawain's knee, but he cleverly used his wrist to control the arc and landing point, and used the same method against Gawain, sending the tennis ball back to the large triangle area at the baseline of Tim's backhand position.
The same dilemma, this time it's Tim's turn.
Unable to move forward and standing awkwardly in place, Tim was forced to take a small step back, but his return ball was quick and fierce and still squeezed Tim's swing.
"ah!"
A roar erupted from deep in his dantian, and Tim's facial expression became ferocious. He could clearly feel the impact of the rolling air waves with his one-handed backhand.
However, Tim did not back down -
A strong collision.
Head-on impact.
“Ahhhh!”
Tim, exploded.
The one-handed backhand unleashes full power and speed. It is also a rebound ball near the knee. Tim's handling of it is completely different from Gawain's.
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Exerting force, pure force, Thiem used his arm strength and wrist control to exert force again, making full use of the rotation of Gawain's return ball and forcefully hitting the tennis ball back.
Topspin.
Strong topspin.
At this point, it can be seen that Thiem has an advantage on clay, with the rotation speed exceeding 4,000 rpm.
Nadal's forehand can easily reach this level, but his backhand is not necessarily the case, it still requires specific circumstances; and Thiem has achieved it at this time.
The tennis ball spun and rushed forward, with power and rotation colliding perfectly, and the ball rushed towards Gawain like a meteor.
Attack! Attack! Attack again!
Tim has entered a super god state. The release of power and control of the landing point are impeccable, and he pushes Gawain to the cliff again.
Perhaps, the only weakness is the slash!
Thiem tried to shorten the tempo, but he chose a more conservative and safer diagonal backhand with one hand, and sent the tennis ball back to Gawain's backhand.
This time, Gawain gained some breathing time—
Retreat and adjust.
Circle and step forward.
Gao Wen made adjustments in a small space within one step, taking consecutive small steps to find the most appropriate and suitable hitting space, and then led the racket early.
At the last moment, only professionals could notice that after Gao Wen retreated, he chose to step forward, as if he had made a counterclockwise circle on the spot.
Step forward.
Push off the ground.
Press forward.
Gawain's two-handed backhand, relying on the weight of his body to charge forward, that step forward was to grab the rising point, and force the attack before Tim's return spin was fully released.
Backhand.
straight line.
Press down.
With a flick of the wrist and a push, the change of direction was completed, and then the tennis ball turned into a stream of light, rushing forward quickly along the sideline. The power and speed had reached the extreme and it seemed to have disappeared.
When the tennis ball was captured again, it had already bounced off the ground:
Straight lines, blind spots, and gaps.
Clean and neat.
straightforward.
Winning points! At the end of this powerful clash, Gao Wen had the last laugh.